IPL 2025: Bumrah's former coach warned, if this mistake is repeated then it will be very dangerous

Team India's young pacer Jasprit Bumrah is undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA for his old back injury. He is one of India's top bowling assets. Former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond feels that if the back of Jasprit Bumrah is hurt again from the same place where he got operated upon, then it could prove very detrimental to the career. The career of Shane Bond too ended too soon because he used to suffer from back injuries. Bumrah didn't appear for any game after the New Year Test against Sydney earlier this year. On the second day of this game, Bumrah left the ground for a scan. It was first reported as a back spasm but later it was detected as a stress fracture, due to which he was not available for the recently held Champions Trophy.

Bumrah is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and no clarity exists regarding his complete fitness and playing for Mumbai Indians during the 2025 season. Bond was the bowling coach for Mumbai Indians for many years. He feels Bumrah's workload must be handled with care so the injury does not happen again. Bond, who is now in India as the bowling coach for the Rajasthan Royals, stated that the moment Bumrah undertook a scan after bowling just five overs on the second day of the Sydney Test, he suspected he had a stress-related injury.

Bond was one of the first fast bowlers to undergo back surgery in this century. He underwent the surgery at the age of 29, which is the same age when Bumrah also underwent his surgery. Bond played cricket despite injuries till the age of 34 but eventually retired first from Tests and then from all formats within six months. In a 2010 conversation with The Cricket Monthly, Bond said, "If I played a few games in a row, my body would start breaking down and he was tired of rehab."

Bond explained that the biggest injury risk for fast bowlers is when they make a quick transition from T20 to Test cricket. This is why he is worried about Bumrah as India has to play a five-Test series in England in June, which will start just a month after the IPL. Bond said, "Look I think Bumrah will be fine, but it completely depends on his workload management. Looking at the schedule and the upcoming tour, it has to be decided where to rest him and where he can be most at risk. The transition from IPL to Test cricket will be a big risk."

India has a very busy schedule for the England tour, with five Test matches to be played between June 28 and August 3. Bond said that India and Bumrah should not put too much workload on him like the Australia tour, where he bowled a total of 151.2 overs in five Tests, of which 52 were just in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Moving on, Bond said that he would not want Bumrah to play more than two Test matches in a row.

He said, "He is very important for the next World Cup and other tournaments. So, considering the five Tests in England, I would not want him to play more than two matches in a row. Going straight to Test cricket after the IPL will be a huge risk for him. How to manage this is the most important question. If we can keep him fit throughout the English summer, only then will I be confident that he can stay fit in other formats as well. But if he gets injured in the same place again, it could be a huge setback for his career, as it would probably be difficult to do surgery again on that spot."